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Friday, May 31, 2013

Vintage Owl Locket with Martha Stewart Crafts™ Jewelry Program

When I learned about the opportunity to craft an awesome piece of jewelry with the new Martha Stewart Jewelry Program, I was absolutely thrilled! I'd never created a piece of jewelry before and was really looking forward to playing with the package of supplies they sent me. Thanks so much to Plaid® for the excellent box of goodies!

The inspiration for my Vintage Owl Locket came from this pair of earrings that belonged to my Grandma Betty. I've always loved these and used to wear them when I was younger. I wanted to give them a new place of prominence, though, in a jewelry piece that was closer to my current style.

Here are some neat supplies that were included in my product box. I knew at once that I would be using that owl mold in my piece. I definitely have a thing for owls! I was excited to use the new epoxy clay, silicone tip brush, and handy silicone mat in the first step of my project. See how the clay containers are divided? It's important to mix equal parts of colored clay with white activator when using the epoxy clay.

I wanted a lighter shade of blue to create my owl cabochon, so I mixed some of the blue and some of the white (after mixing them separately with their own activators) to create a shade pretty close to the blue in the earrings. An easier way to do this would be to make your custom color and then mix with an equal amount of activator. This will keep it from drying out too fast.

Using the silicone tip brush, I moved the clay into all the nooks and crannies of the silicone mold. If you start at the center and work your way out to the sides, it will help to release any air bubbles that would keep your cabochon from molding properly. After I made the blue owl, I put some white in the long leaf mold and let them set for 24 hours. In the meantime, I worked on a different part of the necklace.

Since I had some extra clay after forming my owl, I decided to make my own special charm. I formed it into a circle and used this wax tipped tool to place the blue rhinestones. I absolutely LOVE this tool! How many times have you dropped teeny tiny gems and beads when you were crafting? This two-sided tool takes care of the problem! It easily picks up the tiniest of rhinestones and allows you to place them right where you want them. I know I will get a lot of use out of this!

I added a little setting to the top of the charm and then let it dry 24 hours. I also used some enamel paint to add a little blue to these pretty pieces. It took several days for the enamel to dry so I'm glad I started early. I'm also glad I had this silicone mat to work on, because I could move it to a safe drying spot while I waited for everything to set.

More favorites of mine included the flat and round nose pliers. Wow---how many times have I messed up my fingernails trying to open up a jump ring or clasp? It was super simple with these well-made tools. I also used them to easily rip the old earring clips off. In the past I'd be twisting and pulling, back and forth, to remove them. SO glad I have these tools now!

When my cabochon, charm, and enameled pieces were finished, the only thing left to do before designing the piece was to attach my owl to this neat locket setting. Yes, it really does open! I'm not sure yet what I want to do with the inside of it yet so, for now, I've painted the little circle inside white. I'm sure I'll be inspired soon! Anyway, I used jewelry glue to securely attach the owl to the front of the locket.

Once all my pieces were finished, I laid them out in a design that suited me and glued them together with the jewelry glue. Finally, I strung some wire through it all, added some blue set rhinestones, and I was finished! I've worn it out twice now and have had many nice compliments!The Martha Stewart Jewelry line includes over 240 products just right for all levels of crafter. Whether you want to make a gift for a friend or customize something for yourself, I'm sure you'll find the perfect mix of items to create you're own awesomely unique piece of jewelry.

These products are available exclusively at Michaels craft stores all over the US. To learn more visit Plaid® here:FacebookTwitterPinterest

I was sent a very awesome package of products, as well as paid compensation, in exchange for this review and tutorial. All opinions are honest and are my own.#MarthaJewelry
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16 comments:

There are no words for how much I love this. You have some amazing talent! My mother used to wear those earrings bowling in the 1960's and I am sure she would be pleased at the new modern way you are wearing them. Thank you for keeping them safe and beautiful! Love, from your mother

Seeing your lovely jewellry creation linked up at the Creative HomeAcre Hop was great! Thanks for joining us and we hope you'll come and party creatively again on Sunday at http://mumtopia.blogspot.com/2013/06/June16thbloghop.htmlDo let me know if you would like to write a guest post for Mumtopia - I'm sure my readers would benefit from what you have to say.

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I read each one of them and love to respond back to those who visit! Please consider signing up for EMAIL NOTICES so you'll have a reminder of our weekly HOMEMAKING PARTY---and more! Have a wonderful day!